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NEW STREET REVAMP IS ESSENTIAL FOR THE CITY
New Street Station must be a shining example of what Birmingham has to offer, in order to attract new businesses, a city expert warned today.
Dr Mike Grojean, Head of Executive Education and Associate Dean for Corporate Partnerships at Aston Business School, today reinforced his backing of the £550 million pound re-development of the station, after West Midlands Minister Liam Byrne said it was close to securing final Government approval.
Dr Grojean, a widely travelled American who has developed a passion for his adopted city of Birmingham, said it was important for a city to create a good first impression.
“The refurbishment will go a long way to winning new business for the West Midlands region, because people make instant judgements on a first impression,” he said.
“Without the investment no-one will want to set up shop where their customers have to go through the ordeal of arriving at the station as it is.
“You don’t set about making a good first impression of Birmingham, which is an excellent place, by asking visitors to walk by the dumpster in the back yard first.”
The station is frequently derided as one of the most run down and unwelcoming of all the major terminals on the British railway network. Much of this can be blamed on the sub-surface nature of the station, the 1960s architecture and because it is built below the Pallasades shopping arcade.
Dr Grojean added: “As a business school firmly on the world stage we attract many international executives.
“Once our visitors have made it through the entry points, many of them express surprise at what a great place Birmingham is, but because most of them arrive through New Street Station it is easy for them to form a wrong first impression.
“New Street Station does not reflect our thriving city centre, rich with its strong business district, excellent retail areas and our colourful community.
“It does not speak of a ‘sophisticated urbane city’ but more of ‘urban issues’.”
For more information on Aston Business School Executive Education please contact Clive on 01543 501111